As consumers look to tighten their belts when it comes to personal mobility amid increasing energy costs, products with small-capacity diesel engines appear to make more and more sense, making vehicles such as the recently-introduced Hyundai Grand Creta a great option for those looking for space and efficiency. We recently received the flagship grand Creta for a week-long evaluation.
Styling
While we are certain that a 7-seat SUV is never going to compete for the hearts of fans of automotive design, like its Creta sibling, the larger Grand Creta is well proportioned, offering a contemporary design that is unmistakably Hyundai while managing to make the car appear more compact than it truly is. The Elite specification model on test features 18-inch diamond-cut alloy wheels that we feel match the large three-dimensional front grille, which integrates with the low-mounted headlights.
Interior and space
Stepping inside, the Grand Creta exhibits many of the drawbacks and virtues of its Creta sibling, with an abundance of cheap-feeling, light-coloured surfaces, but an overall impression that the car is well screwed together. From an infotainment perspective, the Elite-spec models get an 8.0-inch infotainment system that offers both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. The infotainment extends to the 10.2-inch digitised instrument cluster, which adds a premium touch to the interior. While the infotainment system and digitised cluster appear premium at a glance, the functionality of the former leaves a lot to be desired, as does the resolution of both screens.
When it comes to practicality, the Grand Creta excels, offering seating for 7 occupants, however, the third row is best suited for shorter adults or children. There is a reasonable 180-litres of boot space with all three rows in place and a voluminous 1 670-litres with the seats folded flat. We were impressed with the ventilation controls and individual USB charging ports for third-row passengers.
Performance and driving impression
Powering the Grand Creta press unit is an 85kW and 250Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine paired with a six-speed automatic gearbox. The engine and gearbox are a great combination, with a good spread of torque and reasonable performance for a vehicle of this type. The reasonably long 2.67-metre-long wheelbase endows the Grand Creta with an impressive ride quality too, while the micro-diesel engine and exterior sound are well insulated, making this a great car to complete the daily commute in.
Safety
While the Grand Creta has not been crash-tested as of yet, the Creta with which it shares platform and safety features was tested by the Global NCAP assessment programme in 2022. It achieved a 4-Star rating, scoring 3 out of 5 stars for both adult and child occupant safety, however, the model tested had the most basic safety specification, while the Grand Creta provided to us for testing had 6 airbags, stability control and ISOFIX child seat anchor points.
Fuel consumption
The Grand Creta was incredibly efficient throughout our week-long test, with a combined consumption figure of 5.4 L/100km, significantly better than the 6.5 L/100km that the brand claims.
Pricing
The list price for the Grand Creta in 1.5D Elite guise at the time of writing was R559 900, and since this product is unique within the marketplace, it appears to offer good value. The Grand Creta range comes with a comprehensive 5-year/150 000km warranty and an additional 7-year/200 000km powertrain warranty and a 4-year/60 000km service plan.
Verdict
The Grand Creta is a unique product within the local market, offering a 7-seat SUV package that is more attainable than a Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace and more efficient and easy to live with versus the off-road-ready 7-seat brigade such as the Toyota Fortuner and Ford Everest. While it is ultimately not the most spacious 7-seat SUV on the market, it manages to strike a good balance between low running costs, practicality and value.
